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Historic Sites | History
Historic Hudson Valley
New York

The Historic Hudson Valley has been designated a National Heritage Area extending from Albany in the upper-Hudson Valley to New York City, just south of Westchester County in the lower-Hudson Valley. This area contains a rich collection of nationally significant cultural and historical sites that are set against the beautiful landscapes of the valley. The period from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War is well represented.

Historic sites include Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s home and Presidential Library, Eleanor Roosevelt’s Val-Kill cottage, Phillipsburg Manor Historic Site, Lyndhurst, the Vanderbilt Mansion, John D. Rockefeller's Kykuit, and Saint Paul's Church used by the American, British and Hessian armies during the Revolutionary War. In addition to history, the Hudson Valley exudes a breathtaking natural beauty and rural character that inspired the Hudson River School of Artists, and the Knickerbocker writers, such as Washington Irving.

The Historic Hudson Valley abounds with history. Visit the historic sites where much of American history was made. See historic homes and estates. Experience history as it was lived in the homes of presidents, signers of the Declaration of Independence, and leaders of industry. Go back in time to the American Revolutionary War and walk the battlegrounds that American patriots walked and fought for during the American Revolution.

Plan an educational vacation in the Hudson Valley. Find many fun things to do while experiencing history in the Hudson Valley. Plan the best vacation in the Historic Hudson Valley. Fill your days with history, natural beauty, and art as interpreted and painted by the Hudson River School of Artists. Relax in the breathtaking landscapes that are part of the inherent beauty of the valley.

The Historic Hudson Valley comprises ten counties, and is generally referenced as three geographic areas: the lower-Hudson Valley, mid-Hudson Valley, and upper-Hudson Valley. These counties all bank the Hudson River on either the east or west side of the river. The Hudson River runs through five counties to the east and five counties to the west of the river, as seen in this
Hudson River Valley Map.

The lower-Hudson Valley is comprised of Westchester County on the east side of the Hudson River, and Rockland County on the west side. Learn about the history of the lower-Hudson Valley in Westchester and Rockland counties by visiting the magnificent estates, collections, and landscapes of prominent and influential Americans.

Enjoy a picnic overlooking the Hudson River, where the family of President and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt dined. Or, have a picnic on the grounds of Sunnyside, home of the first international writer, Washington Irving, one of the three writers known as the Knickerbocker Group. This group was comprised of Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, and William Cullen Bryant, American pioneers in the literary fields of general literature, novels, and poetry and journalism.

Plan a Manhattan-getaway, or plan a two-week vacation exploring history in the Hudson Valley. Take a leap back in time and visit the Historic Hudson Valley where you can place yourself in the homes and estates of presidents such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and titans of industry such as John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan, all contributing to the development and growth of America in one way or another.

Plan a historic trip to the Historic Hudson Valley and learn about the American Revolution and the beginning of a new nation. Learn about the American Revolution, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the beginning of a new nation. Visitors of all ages can explore and delight in the history of the birth of the United States as they tour historic places of interest.

Listen to the history and stories of leaders of commerce, such as John D. Rockefeller, who made their fortune and later became equally distinguished as a philanthropist. Visit the grand estates that were part of the "Gilded Age" in America. Walk the halls and grounds in the estates of leading historic figures in government, of industry, art and architecture; all playing their part in the historic development of this United States of America.